By now you probably know that Gov. Ron DeSantis has built a detention center in the middle of the Everglades and seized control of the land to do so. But you may not understand how he was able to do it.
Usually, the governor cannot decide to control land he does not own. Because he is not the king of medieval Europe.
However, DeSantis was able to do other things that he normally couldn’t do, as he pulled away the grabs of this land and declared a “emergency” that gave him extra strength.
Currently, most emergency situations last only weeks or months. The general idea is that an extra empowered leader can quickly address unexpected problems.
But Ron DeSantis really loves his extra power. Therefore, after declaring an emergency situation on January 6, 2023 to address what is called the “Biden Border Crisis,” the governor decided to “update” the emergency order in 60 days.
And then again 60 days later. And after that. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again.
As the Seeking Rents news site reported, this is a total of 15 times. This state leadership is creating a long-term “urgent” for one Helluva that could not contain.
Somewhere along the line, the governor’s executive order stopped citing the “Biden Border Crisis.” Perhaps when DeSantis issued the last three emergency expansions, as the name Biden was not in the White House. Still, there are a few things you need to know about the provincial long-term “emergency.”
The main one of them ensures that GOP lawmakers are not treating illegal immigrants like a crisis-level “urgent” when it comes to deep businesses in this state that employ and exploit illegal labor, including those in agriculture, construction and tourism.
When Republican lawmakers passed the mandatory e-verify law early in 2023 (the first “emergency” immigration declaration was issued, they gave free passes to businesses that broke the law. In fact, the law gives several free passes to employers who violate law, saying that businesses that caught illegal employment will only be caught three times and will be punished if they amended the 30-day method of breaching the law.
Can you consider other laws where law violations are treated very generously? Are you particularly suspected of an emergency?
The reality is that these people are not taking seriously cracking down on illegal immigration when it means upsetting the cheap labor system enjoyed by fellow campaign donors. Most of this is just a theatre. In fact, they were telling who announced plans for this new detention center, and when.
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On June 17, a federal judge found Florida Attorney General James Usmierer to have emptied the court for violating a court order. The story became national, and Usmeyer was desperate to change the story.
On June 19th, Uthmeier announced “Aligator Alcatraz” and suddenly, all the news stories about Uthmeier being a Law-Breaker turned into a story about Uthmeier being a tough guy.
Despite environmental concerns regarding the construction of this pop-up facility in the middle of the vulnerable Everglades that taxpayers have spent billions to restore, you may be a fan of the new detention center. And despite concerns from the Mikkoski and Seminole tribes who lived in land generation before American politicians arrived.
However, it is better to pay attention to the precedent that the governor will recognize special powers by declaring a “emergency” that has now been going on for more than 900 days. Because the future governor can try to do the same. After all, it is an unusual politician and is interested in limiting their own power.
Once upon a time, this condition had some checks and balances. However, they are hardly present these days. Democrats describe the governor’s 30-month “emergency” as merely a plan to gain publicity and extra power. But the state’s Democrats have as much influence as the wounded seals wandering into the shark frenzy. So, Florida’s never-ending “emergency” will continue, unless Republicans or courts push back.
Fortunately, for all law-breaking employers, and consumers who want to enjoy the fruits of illegal and exploited labor, the state leaders have never changed the “urgent” level of illegitimate ille to those who benefit the most.
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